SpaceX to Send Japanese Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and Fellow Artists to the Moon

In a press conference Monday night, SpaceX made it official that they’ll be sending the first private citizen to the Moon, in the year 2023, a mere five years from now.  Even more impressive was the choice of crew, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, and his choice of six to eight artists from around the world.

The idea of sending a crew of artists to the moon almost boggles the mind, especially when considering how staid and conservative NASA is with their crews of military-background astronauts.  Regardless, the team will undoubtedly have extensive training and preparation, before departing for the moon, where they’ll create the first artwork from the surface of the dusty lunar landscape.

The audacious project has been generously funded by Maezawa, and is entitled #DearMoon, a tribute to the beauty and everlasting intrigue of our satellite partner, that has inspired artists and musicians for millennia.

Clearly there’s a lot left to solve before this travel is undertaken, and SpaceX has a lot to prove with their massive BFR, or Big Falcon Rocket.

Below is a short video created for the event, explaining the hopes and dreams of the #DearMoon project. Via The Verge: